Before highlights of Auburn’s 2024 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Yale were about to be played during TBS’ postgame show, studio host Ernie Johnson acknowledged that it might hurt for one of his colleagues to watch.

Indeed, it wasn’t the most enjoyable Friday afternoon for Charles Barkley.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness slips through Auburn basketball's fingers in upset loss to Yale

The former Auburn basketball star, working as a studio analyst during March Madness, bemoaned the unexpectedly early exit for his beloved program after its 78-76 loss to 13 seed Yale, a setback that came just five days after the Tigers won the SEC Tournament.

“They had plenty of chances,” Barkley said. “They did not play well. But Yale played better, they deserved to win the game. My Tigers, man, this kind of ruins a really good season, winning the SEC Tournament. To lose in the first round is very disappointing and frustrating.”

Auburn entered the NCAA Tournament with 27 wins, the fourth-most in a season in program history. The SEC Tournament championship was the Tigers’ first since 2019, when the Tigers went on to advance to the first and only Final Four in program history.

REQUIRED READING: Chad Baker-Mazara ejected in Auburn vs Yale first-round game of 2024 NCAA Tournament

Coach Bruce Pearl’s team went into the matchup with Yale, the Ivy League champion, as a 12.5-point favorite.

“Shout out to Yale, the Bulldogs,” Barkley said. “Never thought a Bulldog would beat a Tiger, but they did. Man, it's going to be a long trip from Spokane, Washington, back to The Plains.”

Despite the disappointment of Friday’s loss, Barkley voiced his support for Pearl and the team, noting “there’s no other person I’d rather have leading our program than Bruce Pearl.”

REQUIRED READING: Auburn alum Charles Barkley discusses Chad Baker-Mazara flagrant 2 foul on TNT halftime show

A Leeds native, Barkley played at Auburn from 1981-84 and won SEC Player of the Year honors in his final season with the program. Over his 16-year NBA career, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer was an 11-time all-star and the 1993 MVP.

He never strayed far from his Auburn roots, though, which made the first-round exit that much harder to absorb.

“When you're a high seed and you're expected to win, you don't play well,” Barkley said. “That's the thing about this tournament that never disappoints. Same thing with Florida and Colorado winning. Nothing matters when this tournament starts. Let's think about this: Less than four or five days ago, we are holding the SEC championship on top of the world. And all that hard work is over.

"That's the painful thing about sports and the great thing about sports. You do all that running during the summer, lift those weights, it's a long season. And it all comes down to March Madness. You get a great seed, and it's over that quickly.”

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Charles Barkley: Auburn loss to Yale 'kind of ruins a really good season'